Gombe: The Gombe state government has announced its plan to vaccinate 1.7 million children against measles and other diseases as part of the nationwide Integrated Measles-Rubella Vaccination campaign. The campaign, set to run from October 18 to 28, is a collaborative effort involving the Federal and state government, UNICEF, GAVI, and WHO. It aims to immunize children from birth to 14 years against measles, rubella, polio, and HPV.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Abdulkarim Aliyu, the State Immunisation Officer for the Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, shared updates on the campaign’s progress after monitoring the immunization efforts alongside UNICEF representatives. Aliyu reported that over 30 percent of the targeted children had been vaccinated by the third day of the exercise. The state received approximately 1.8 million doses of MR vaccines and over one million doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), with 481,734 children vaccinated with MR and 253,772 children with OPV as of day three.
Aliyu expressed confidence that the state would achieve at least 95 percent of its vaccination target due to the high turnout and minimal resistance encountered so far. A correspondent from the News Agency of Nigeria observed a significant turnout for vaccination in Gombe metropolis, with community health workers actively administering vaccines at various designated centers.
Residents, including Mrs. Asmau Madi of Gidan Magani, praised the state government, UNICEF, and other partners for their efforts in reducing child mortality. Madi noted that vaccination had improved her children’s health, reducing illness frequency. She urged other mothers to vaccinate their children, assuring them of the vaccines’ safety.
In a related instance, Malam Abdulkarim Bello, a motorcyclist and father of eight, personally ensured his nine-year-old son received the vaccine at Bolari West PHC after the child attempted to evade the exercise. Bello emphasized the importance of vaccination for his son’s health, relying on information from radio reports about the vaccine’s availability and benefits.
The UNICEF team monitoring the campaign includes Dr. Rownak Khan, Deputy Representative for UNICEF Nigeria; Dr. Kabiru Shall, Nigeria Immunisation Manager for UNICEF; and Oluseyi Olosunde, Nigeria Health Officer for UNICEF.